Obscure figure skaters you remember even if no one else does | Page 4 | Golden Skate

Obscure figure skaters you remember even if no one else does

blue_idealist

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 25, 2006
I remember all of them! Annie Bellemare had such talent but a hard time with her nerves (our women used to have a lot of trouble with that, something Jennifer Robinson and Joannie overcame. Kaetlyn doesn't seem to have a problem at all, I think always being in front of a crowd helps, plus she's a natural competitor and performer). Angelia went to Worlds in 1998, but had a hip injury and finished 20th. It was a bad time for women's skating in Canada. Chantal and Michel were good, I always felt they were undermarked. Interesting to note, Chantal was Patrice Lauzon's former partner until Patrice teamed with Marie France Dubreuil. I remember Boyce and Brunet's flintstone routine!
Marie-Claude and Luc were good, I felt bad for them in Nagano when they had the Nagano flu. They really fought to keep their dream alive.
From that same era, there was Ravi Walia. Again, never really broke through at nationals, but always seemed like a nice guy. He coaches Kaetlyn Osmond, of course.
Stephane Yyvars, who looks just like Eric Millot

Dorota had a nasty fall in 1998 Worlds, she fell into the boards. Yup, they medalled in 1999. There was a team that had a horrible fall in the 2000 Worlds on a lift. That was Julia Obertas and Dmitri Palamarchuk. They split after that, Julia has had other partners since but never broke through.

Thanks for the pointer, CaroLiza. Yeah, old tapes aren't great quality.

Some more lesser known Canadians (some before I started watching)
Lisa Sargeant (Kristy Sargeant-Wirtz's older sister)
Charlene Wong (I believe she is a former coach of Mirai Nagasu)
Michael Slipchuk (of course, now the director of Skate Canada High Performance)

Yeah, it was heartbreaking when Angela lost her national title in 1999, after skating an LP during which she didn't land a single triple. I forgot that Chantal had skated with Patrice as well.

It was the Obertas/Palamarchuk fall in 2000 that I was thinking of, I'm pretty sure, since I remember the girl falling almost on her head, not just into the boards. I also don't think I even watched the '98 Worlds since I only became a big fan from 1999 on. Btw, I remember that Obertas and Sergei Slavnov were doing decently and then they just kinda disappeared.
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
Lots of interesting skaters being brought up here!

I liked the Siudeks very much. They were able to convey their connection on the ice, which is the hallmark of a good pair or ice dance team, and his strength balanced her grace.

I agree that Karen Kwan was an interesting skater, very different from Michelle in style and affect. She didn't reach out to the audience but was more interior. I remember that one commentator at U.S. Nationals called her style "personal, almost private." I thought that was the perfect way to characterize her skating.

One of my first fave ice dance couples was the Canadian couple Barbara Berezowski and David Porter. I saw them live in Toller Cranston's ice show. I would hardly call them obscure, as they were repeat Canadian champs, but it was long enough ago (the '70s), and it was at a time when very few North American couples could break through to top world positions. (The exception being the USA's Colleen O'Connor and Jim Millns, who won bronze at the 1976 Games.) Thanks to whoever put up the following videos! How great to see again skaters one has seen only in inaccurate memory for decades.

A competitive program
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UAgkuJHbpo

A theatrical program
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfyTLzKN3u0
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
Definitely Katherine Healy! Love her style, though she never had the jumps needed to reach the top in competitive skating. She was a wonderful exhibition skater.
 

QuadAx

Rinkside
Joined
Mar 7, 2006
Definitely Katherine Healy! Love her style, though she never had the jumps needed to reach the top in competitive skating. She was a wonderful exhibition skater.
She is one of a few skaters who don't need to jump to have a great program. A child skater and then a gold medal winning ballerina when she was a teen, a good actress too had she chosen to continue acting.
 

Blades of Passion

Skating is Art, if you let it be
Record Breaker
Joined
Sep 14, 2008
Country
France
I agree that Karen Kwan was an interesting skater, very different from Michelle in style and affect. She didn't reach out to the audience but was more interior. I remember that one commentator at U.S. Nationals called her style "personal, almost private." I thought that was the perfect way to characterize her skating.

Kwan Kwan did some very beautiful things in her skating.

This SP is sublime: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MbpNJxQutc

Notice how it's the same music as Christina Gao's SP from the past couple seasons. Karen's interpretation blows Gao's away.

Also, she was very undermarked for that performance. I would have given at least 5.8 for presentation. It's a joke how they placed Nicole Bobek's SP ahead at that competition: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5kpe_jqAjI
 

coppertop1

On the Ice
Joined
Sep 19, 2006
Yeah, it was heartbreaking when Angela lost her national title in 1999, after skating an LP during which she didn't land a single triple. I forgot that Chantal had skated with Patrice as well.

It was the Obertas/Palamarchuk fall in 2000 that I was thinking of, I'm pretty sure, since I remember the girl falling almost on her head, not just into the boards. I also don't think I even watched the '98 Worlds since I only became a big fan from 1999 on. Btw, I remember that Obertas and Sergei Slavnov were doing decently and then they just kinda disappeared.

I think Julia Obertas retired after 2007. Apparently, she was very demanding with her partners. That fall she had with her partner in 2000 was awful! I also remember Tatiana Totmianina's fall! She was lucky she wasn't more severely hurt
 

Kitt

Final Flight
Joined
Feb 1, 2007
Country
United-States
Wow that Katherine Healy video! I thought Sasha had the most awesome Charlotte spiral, but Katherine's ---incredible. what an artist.
 

3T3T

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 1, 2007
Country
Ireland
That was a beautiful skate by Karen Kwan. It was disappointing that Julia Obertas retired so early but towards the end she had lost her ability to land the jumps. I think she skated with Slavnov as he was her then boyfriend.
 

carriecmu0503

On the Ice
Joined
Jun 16, 2008
Of course! She now coaches Caroline Zhang.

Elizabeth Kwon (this girl was hyped when she was a kid; sadly she never materialized) - http://youtu.be/Qu8G3OaINOs

Elizabeth went to Miami University (OH), graduating in 2009. After not skating for several years (she had been forced to retire because of recurring ankle injuries), she began skating again during her first year of college. She did compete on the intercollegiate team for Miami during her sophomore year, with a double Axel and triple Salchow. She hit the triple toe about 50% of the time in practice, but never competed with it. I watched her try as she might to regain her triple Lutz. Sad, because she did not need it for collegiate skating, but ever the competitor, boy did she try to get it back. Unfortunately, her ankle gave out again and she did not continue skating after her sophomore year.
 

coppertop1

On the Ice
Joined
Sep 19, 2006
I remember Stephanie's LP from the nationals. So different and fun!

Yeah, I remember Julia Obertas missing her jumps more and more. Why was that?
 

coppertop1

On the Ice
Joined
Sep 19, 2006
Some more I remember:

Yulia Lavrenchuk of Ukraine. Not really an elegant skater, but very powerful and athletic.
This is her performance at the 1998 Olympics, she was 11th.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaARkZ2Ovkw

I mentioned Julia Lautowa, here's her performances in 1997 and 1998
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3vumI4wo1A- 1997 Worlds LP, she finished 8th
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-s9cgY2veg- 1998 Olympics. she was 14th, after a disastrous SP had her way down in 21st.
I wonder why she fell off the map. Was it a growth spurt? Personal difficulties (like a failed marriage at a young age)
 

CaroLiza_fan

EZETTIE LATUASV IVAKMHA
Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 25, 2012
Country
Northern-Ireland
Kevin van der Perren (Belguim) - His programs did nothing for me artistically but, wow, what a powerful jumper! His last skate (Worlds 2012) shows this. What is he doing now?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqS6l3xoyas

Kevin... obscure?! I'd hardly use that word to describe him! :laugh:

As you probably know, Kevin is married to Jenna McCorkell. They are currently coaching quite a few young skaters in Belgium, where they live.

If you look at this thread that I started in October, and click on the link in Trewyn's reply, you will see that Kevin's name features very frequently in the coach's column.

Also, last January, he and Charissa van Dipte won the 2012/13 series of “Sterren op de Dansvloer”, the Belgian version of "Strictly Come Dancing".

Here is a photo of them holding the trophy.

Hope this helps

CaroLiza_fan
 

skatingfan4ever

"Our blade takes us in the most amazing places."
Medalist
Joined
Nov 3, 2012
Country
United-States
Kevin... obscure?! I'd hardly use that word to describe him! :laugh:

As you probably know, Kevin is married to Jenna McCorkell. They are currently coaching quite a few young skaters in Belgium, where they live.

If you look at this thread that I started in October, and click on the link in Trewyn's reply, you will see that Kevin's name features very frequently in the coach's column.

Also, last January, he and Charissa van Dipte won the 2012/13 series of “Sterren op de Dansvloer”, the Belgian version of "Strictly Come Dancing".

Here is a photo of them holding the trophy.

Hope this helps

CaroLiza_fan
:laugh: Thanks for all the info! I wasn't sure whether to put Kevin in the "obscure" category or not. He had a long and relatively successful competitive career and appears to have been well liked in the skating community. I decided to ask about him here anyway. He certainly is obscure to non-diehard fans. Then again, the majority of skaters are obscure to non-diehard fans.
 
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